Last week, US House Rep Trent Franks weighed in on the targeting of Christians in Iraq.
Here's the transcript of what's being said.
US House Rep Trent Franks: Mr. President, last month, 55 colleagues
of mine and myself sent you and Secretary Kerry a letter asking that you
actively prioritize security and humanitarian support for the Christian
community in Iraq. We specifically warned you of the dangers and
brutality of the terrorist group ISIS who are now rampaging across Iraq
and terrorizing the vulnerable Christian population. In the letter, we
specifically pointed out that "parts of Syria and Iraq that have
previously fallen under the rule of ISIS have witnessed summary
executions, beheadings and even crucifixions." And that "absent
immediate action, we will most certainly witness an annihilation of a
faith community from the lands they've inhabited for centuries."
Tragically, Mr. President, you simply ignored us again -- as you've
done so many times before. And now ISIS, the group you once likened to a
junior varsity basketball team, is beheading its way across Iraq and
has declared that there will be "nothing for the Christians but the
sword" if they do not convert. Mr. President, last week, ISIS torched
an 1800-year-old church in Mosul and deliberately and insidiously
destroyed the historic tomb of Jonah. Last Sunday, for the first time
in 1600 years, there was no mass in Mosul. The head of Iraq's Christian
community said, "For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is
now empty of Christians." And now images of ISIS' beheadings,
crucifixions, rape, torture and mass execution are all over the internet
and social media. Just yesterday, I met with a group of NGOs based in
Iraq who told me that ISIS recently beheaded 6 Christians and then
proceeded to play soccer with their decapitated heads. Mr. President,
ISIS's targeting of Christians has been systematic and horrifying and
Iraq's Christians in the area are now nearly extinct. It can rightly be
called "targeted religious cleansing." And, sir, it is a crime against
humanity. And yet, Mr. President, we have not heard a single word from
you -- even as a literal Christian genocide is taking place at this
very moment, you have not uttered even one syllable about what your
administration is doing or planning to do to relieve or protect these
persecuted Christians in Iraq. So now speaking with you and pleading
with you directly, sir, I once again repeat the words we wrote in our
letter to you a month ago: "We urge you and your administration to
urgently and actively engage with the Iraqi central government and the
Kurdistan Regional Government to prioritize additional security support
for these particularly vulnerable populations and provide emergency
humanitarian assistance to those effected communities. Absent immediate
action, we will most certainly witness the annihilation of ancient
faith community from the lands they've inhabited for centuries. Mr.
President, if you continue to ignore this Christian genocide in Iraq,
history will record that it was you who idly stood on the sidelines and
knowingly let it happen.